DINNER AT BANFI'S

Until recently, hotel dining facilities had been notoriously middle-of-the-road, but when the hotel is also part of an Ivy League school of hotel administration, one expects better. And, we are happy to say, dining at Taverna Banfi pans out as a delightful experience, one befitting the “world’s premier hotel management school.” We’ve enjoyed several dinners here on our own dime, and happily report that it is, indeed a first-class white-linen restaurant, with comfortable furnishings, long views of the city twinkling below, careful and just-friendly-enough service, and the luxury of seating spaced for conversational privacy.

As we perused the menu, our waiter set before us a basket of foccaccia, little flasks of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and a plate of appeteasers – pitted Kalamata olives, a bit of grated asiago cheese, red pepper flakes, and a sprinkling of fresh dill. For starters, the Taverna Caesar salad was all that it should have been – crisp and lemony, topped with a blizzard of cheese shaved into airy wisps. A frito misto of calamari, shrimp, scallops, and tender-fleshed white fish, was light and crisp, its limoncello aioli dip creamy; crisp strips of marinated red pepper, celery, and onion provided a zingy counterpoint to all that richness. The pasta di giorno of linguini in a cream sauce was made interesting by a contrast: the tartness of cherry tomatoes with the sweetness of green peas, all topped with one meaty roasted shrimp. Another, a dusky sage butter sauce – more cream here -- enveloped triangular house-made ravioli which gave way to a smoothe sweet potato filling, which, had It been chocolate, might have been better than sex. All the same, it was pretty darned good.

For main courses, a duck breast was well seasoned and sautéed to tender rareness, and apples, raisins, and sherry provided a pleasant acidic balance to the richness of an accompanying duck confit. A meaty braised lamb shank, with a red wine and veal demi-glace, was architectural in its presentation, and though we were told it had braised for six hours, rendering it fork-tender, it had a pleasing dark, caramelized coating. Gremolata, a dash of the lemon peel, garlic, and parsley seasoning, added further dimension to the dish’s flavor palette. Both entrees topped roasted asparagus and a sweet, comforting wintry mash of potatoes and parsnips. Other main-course options included salmon with a Cornell apple cider reduction; crab-stuffed polenta-crusted trout with red pepper stew and olive tapenade; and mushroom cannelloni with a white wine mushroom sauce. For those with lighter appetites, or those who fear drifting off during a post-prandial concert, Taverna Banfi also offers a selection of individual pizzas -- grilled vegetables, pesto, pine nuts, and New York State ricotta; pear, prosciutto, walnuts, Lively Run goat cheese among them -- colorful antipasti, and a hearty Tuscan soup, as well as a selection of salads.

Since the Taverna is part of the School of Hotel Administration’s teaching program, a feature of the menu is a prix-fixe three-course menu created by students in the restaurant management course – a trio of crostini with a variety of colorful toppings, beef tenderloin with grilled asparagus and basil risotto, and a dessert of espresso cheesecake with Chantilly cream and honey pine-nut brittle ran $35. A vegetarian entrée is an option, as is a wine paired with each of the three courses for an additional $15.

A comprehensive and well chosen wine list includes a good selection of half bottles. We chose Keuka Lake’s Ravines Cabernet Franc and a Willamette Valley Whole Cluster Pinot Noir from a wines-by-the-glass menu featuring more than two dozen wines from Italy, the West Coast, Australia, and the Finger Lakes among others, including both sparklers and dessert wines.

For dessert, a large portion of chocolate tiramisu, enough for two, and a toffee cake with plump white raisins, a toffee sauce, vanilla gelato, and a buttery cookie with almonds and sesame seeds coupled with Taverna Banfi’s good coffee, had us thoroughly warmed up as we toddled – or should we say waddled – back out into the wintry, star-lit night.

Yes, the staff pulled out all the stops for us as reviewers and our meals were top quality, but both food and service were equally sterling when we, as members of the general public, dashed in unannounced for a rushed dinner a few weeks before, and were probably our waiter’s nightly nightmare. It’s better to set aside the time to enjoy Banfi’s menu, wine list, and ambiance, and it’s definitely worth a hike up East Hill for same. Free valet parking for restaurant patrons (have your ticket stamped by your server) add to the pleasure of an evening of dinner and Cornell theater, or a music or sporting event. Taverna Banfi is located at 130 Statler Drive on the Cornell University campus. It is also open for breakfast, lunch, and a sumptuous Sunday brunch. For information and reservations, recommended for concert nights and parent-type and alumni weekends, call 607.254.2565. For menu and additional information, check out their Web site at www.statlerhotel.cornell.edu/dining/banfis_menus.html.

DANO'S ON SENECA

Driving over the ridge that separates Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, preoccupations and concerns of the day evaporate as painterly views of farms, lake, and vineyards unfold। It’s a mini-vacation heading to  Daño’s Heuriger in Lodi for a leisurely dinner. What is a heuriger (pronounced hoy-rigger)? Born in the vineyards surrounding Vienna, it’s an informal place for drinking new wine in mugs, and dining on hearty, satisfying local foods—spreads, salads, smoked or roasted meats, fresh fish, and—hey, this is about Vienna—fabulous desserts with plenty of schlag (whipped cream)। Daño Hutnik and Karen Gilman, with Cornell architect Andrea Simmitch, have constructed a bright, airy place with a large dining patio and spectacular vineyard and lake views। Displaying Gilman’s large, colorful landscape paintings, it fills with a lively crowd of couples out for a romantic evening; tourists from as far away as Ukraine and as near as Rochester; extended families (Hutnik and Gilman make special provision for serving meals family style); and vineyard workers, winemakers, and cellar rats from nearby wineries. We’re always surprised at the number of Ithacans we run into, too.

This particular area around Seneca Lake, locally called “the banana belt” for its uncharacteristically mild climates, grows some of the finest vinifera grapes and makes some of the most highly acclaimed wines in the Finger Lakes, and has attracted its more than its share of international press and Governor’s Cup wine awards. If you’re wondering which wine goes with Wiener schnitzel, start with a bottle of Lamoreaux Landing Blanc de Blanc bubbly, which goes with just about anything, and is bound to put you in a cheery mood.

We began our meal with a salad of mixed organic field greens, with the first fresh dill of the season, culled from the restaurant’s herb garden, and served with red wine–roasted peaches, shaved sheep’s milk black peppercorn cheese, endive slivers, and caramelized walnuts. A bowl of steamed Prince Edward Island mussels festooned with “seed pearls” of garlic, and minced parsley and fresh tarragon was the best we’ve tasted since a breakfast of mussels on Cape Breton Island years ago. A basket of mixed artisanal breads served to sop up the juices. On a hot June day, this might have served as dinner. But eager for this culinary adventure, we forged ahead, testing the spreads that are a Daño’s specialty: Liptauer, reddened with sweet paprika; Hotel Sacher, punctuated with bits of pickle and capers; and our favorite, a pumpkin seed oil spread. On other occasions we’ve also enjoyed the gorgonzola, bacon, horseradish walnut, and artichoke-lemon spreads. This night the kitchen sent out a sampler of salads, too: a mustardy celery-root; a creamy, mild salsify; a tangy/vinegary cucumber salad; and our all-time favorite, Daño’s magenta-colored, sinus-clearing horseradish beet salad.

We're sworn to secrecy re the ingredient that makes Daño’s red cabbage the best we’ve ever tasted, but you really ought to try it. The Viennese Bento Box was a satisfying meal, with its generous sampling of sausages, pork, and salads. The aforementioned Wiener schnitzel, a boneless veal chop pounded thin, then breaded and fried golden crisp and served, simply, with a lemon wedge, was lovely.

Our desserts were a kugelhopf, a vanilla-and-chocolate pound cake served with brandied cherries, and Rigo Jancsi (pronounced Ree-go Yanchee), an Austrian take on Tiramisu, with layers of flourless chocolate cake surrounding a layer of chocolate mousse and another of apricot jam, both with the ubiquitous schlag. A good dessert comes with a good story, and this one tells of Mr. Jancsi, a violinist who scandalized Viennese society with his unmitigated promiscuity. We washed away his sins with a small glass of almost unbearably delicious Standing Stone Vidal ice wine. Don’t miss the delicious Linzer Torte, which Gilman occasionally fills with tart currant jam instead of the expected raspberry.

The wine list focuses on nearby wineries with the occasional Austrian addition. Wagner Valley beers go well with smoked meats and wursts. The house wine, served in mugs, is a Standing Stone Vidal Blanc heuriger wine, crafted especially for Daño’s. With these long days, it’s not difficult to get there in time to watch the day dissolve into a magnificent sunset over Seneca Lake, and linger over a leisurely and delightful meal. Daño’s Heuriger is open from noon until 9 p.m. at 9564 Route 414 in Lodi, New York. For reservations and information, call 607 582-7555.

LOCAVORES STRIKE IT RICH IN ITHACA -- GET YOUR OWN GOAT (with recipe)

For years local chefs searched in vain for home-grown center-of-the-plate goods, and now there’s no shortage of same, thanks to McDonald Farms, The Piggery, Northland Sheep Dairy, Autumn's Harvest, and others, many of them Ithaca Farmers Market regulars. Blue Stone Bar and Grill’s chef/owner Doug Gruen, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, veteran of many Big Apple top restaurants, and one of Ithaca’s burgeoning mob of talented “buy local, cook local” chefs, purchases vegetables and salad greens in their season from Nathaniel Thompson’s Remembrance Farm in T-burg, a member of the area’s Full Plate Farm Collective.

“The less traveling it has to do makes a big impression on the flavor of produce,” Gruen said. “And to sell [to restaurants], local farmers have to be better than average; they put a lot more effort into making their product more flavorful and tasty.” For winter, though, he has found a good source for goat meat in John Wertis, whose Searsburg BWW Farm produces a variety of goat cuts available year round, from leg of goat (think leg of lamb without the fragrance of Persian lamb coat) to goatburger, great for a warming chili, and even goat summer sausage. Goat meat is also known as chevon or, in the Southwest, cabrito (always makes me think of “cabrito ergo sum”: which translates to “therefore I am a young goat,” which doesn’t make any sense at all, but gives me the giggles). Low in cholesterol and fat (143 calories per 100 grams; chicken has 223, beef 305), and high in flavor, but without venison’s gaminess, goat cooks best at a slow braise, and Gruen’s recipe for goat curry is sure to fill a kitchen with lovely aromas as it cooks, and to elicit a chorus of yums around your table.

Doug Gruen’s Indonesian-style Goat Curry (serves 6)
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 lbs goat meat cubes with bones
1 cup diced onion
½ cup diced carrots
½ cup diced celery
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp curry powder (Gruen prefers yellow curry powder, but curry paste can be used, or any other kind of curry powder)
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
½ cup soy milk
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky

 In a hot skillet, brown pieces of goat in canola oil. When meat is browned, add diced onion and sauté until onions take on a little color. Toss in carrots; cook for three minutes. Add celery. Make a place for the garlic in the middle of the sauté pan, and sauté the garlic until it has some color.
At highest heat, add curry powder, thyme, black pepper and bay leaf and sauté for a minute or two.

Then add all other ingredients except peanut butter, and lower flame to medium. Cover and cook until meat is tender and falling off the bone (start checking after an hour or so). Remove meat from pan; de-bone, and discard bones.

Add peanut butter to sauce in pan, whisk in well, then return goat to pan. Taste for seasoning, and serve piping hot with white steamed jasmine rice and the following garnishes: chopped scallions, chopped peanuts, chopped fresh coconut (roasted in a small pan in the oven for a short time), chopped bacon, and mango chutney. Gruen likes to serve all the garnishes in small bowls on a lazy susan in the middle of the table so diners can help themselves.

You, too, can order goat from Wertis’ BWW Farm at 387-4331; check out his Web site, http://goatmeatsny.com/, for additional recipes. You can find even more recipes at http://www.greatgoats.com/cooking.html. Should you have time, space, and inclination, there’s information on growing your own on the Web site of Cornell’s Sheep and Goat Marketing Program, where Trumansburg’s Dr. tatiana [the “T” is lower case] Stanton, a goat expert who got her start running a Peace Corps goat program in Jamaica, holds forth with good information and a few warnings.

We dined recently at Blue Stone Bar and Grill, (110 North Aurora Street, Ithaca) and enjoyed immensely Gruen’s creations, (especially his braised pork shank with brandy-glazed apples and his wasabi-glazed salmon), the restaurant’s atmosphere, and selections from their imaginative drinks menu. Call 272-2371 for information and reservations. You’re in for a treat if there’s curried goat on the menu.